Fitlife360.net

Pinnacles National Park * The People’s Park

November 20, 2018fitlifeandtravel

Pinnacles National Park is the final national park we’ve visited over a three-day weekend on our quest to visit three national parks in three days. The previous 2 days were filled with impressive historical sequoia trees, beautiful landscapes, and stunning sunsets! Read about it here: For every new national park we visit, we have a new found appreciation and desire to explore more parks, landmarks, and nature.

Background:

Pinnacles is an interesting park in that it is actually partof the San Andreas Fault Zone (running east of the park). Did you know? SanAndreas Fault system is part of the Ring of Fire; a zone of earthquake andvolcanic activity that partially encircles the Pacific Ocean. The park is aresult of a combination of heat, frost, water, and wind wearing away rock. Thecaves are also a result of fault action and earthquake activity created byboulders falling into deep, narrow gorges and getting stuck between the rockwalls.

The People’s Park:

During the 1700s, the Pinnacles’ Native Americans; the Chalon and Mutsun Indians, were hunter-gatherers and harvested on the local resources. Later, when emigrants arrived, Pinnacles became a popular place for activities, picnics, camping, and exploring.

Hiking Adventure:

Juniper Canyon Trail, Tunnel Trail, High Peaks Trail, CondorGulch Trail, Old Pinnacles Trail, Balconies Cave Trail.

We hit the road toward Pinnacles around 9:00 a.m. after meeting up with friend and Fitlife360 guest blogger, Sam at our hotel in Salinas. Sam was also traveling and exploring Santa Cruz and Monterey areas over the weekend and shared with us her interesting trip. She departed San Diego Thursday night drove directly through the areas where the large massive fires were near Los Angeles/Ventura. She was directed towards several detours around those flames until she finally made it to her destination in Santa Cruz.

We continued our way south on highway 101 from our hotel andonward into the Pinnacles National Park, which is about 45 minutes from our hotelin Salinas, California. We arrived at the park entrance and used the restroomsand enjoyed a chat with the park ranger. We had formulated our plan and mapdrawn out to explore Bear Gulch Cave, Balconies Cave, and see Condors. Thingsdid not go the way we planned exactly, but we still had an amazing and verycool experience.

We began hiking from the Chaparral Parking Area and continued on the Juniper Canyon Trail. As we were approaching the Tunnel Trail, it was becoming a bit challenging with gradual inclines and switchbacks. It was only a short while into the trail, when we looked up and saw two large condors flying near one of the mountain peaks. This part of the trail was very interesting with the beautiful large boulders and rock formations, where some of them had splashes of colors on the boulders and rock formations.

Some of the trails connect with each other and can be difficult choosing which path to take. We had intentions of taking the trail that leads to Bear Gulch Cave Trail, (to explore Bear Gulch Cave) this is where we chose the wrong trail path and ended up at the Overlook on the Condor Gulch Trail. (We only saw Condors earlier on the hiking trail).

We continued on a decline trail of switchbacks and narrow paths towards Old Pinnacles Trailhead Parking lot area. We sat around for awhile and rested in this area for a short while. We decided to continue on this trail where it took us through a tree filled hillside, some areas had a canopy of trees, then we approached an area of an open dried up creek bed. (West Fork Chalone Creek) This is where we encountered a wild bobcat roaming around. My husband grabbed the Nikon and took off toward the bobcat. He captured our bobcat friend and he said it was like the cat was sitting there posing for him.

Bobcat

Shortly after our wild animal encounter with the bobcat, we proceeded to make our way towards Balconies Cave. The journey through the cave is very cool with the darkness, quiet and silent inside the cave, and the thrill of finding your way out to the other side of the cave. Check out the video of the cave adventure:

The journey through Pinnacles National Park was amazing! Despite the past couple days of experiencing smoke filled hazy skies, it was a beautiful day with blue skies and sunshine.

By the end of our day exploring, we had hiked about 11 miles, scrambling over rocks in Balconies Cave, and enjoyed a backdrop of massive boulders and stunning landscape views. Here are the many activities you do at Pinnacles.

*Hiking
*Explore Caves
*Rock Climbing
*Enjoy Plants and Trees
*Birds-Condors and Bats

Here is more information to plan your visit:

Pinnacles National Park
5000 Hwy 146
Paicines, CA 95043
8310389-4485
http://www.nps.gov/pinn
DIRECTIONS TO THE PARK

The Amazing Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

November 16, 2018November 20, 2018fitlifeandtravel

It is truly a treat to have visited America’s second oldest national park at Sequoia. Every visit we make to the national parks, we become more inspired and motivated to see more! Arriving at this park was truly a treat after the long hours of driving north from San Diego and maneuvering the roads through all the fires happening in the Los Angeles area during the Veterans Day weekend in November.

As we proceeded to drive, we saw a plume-like cloud as the backdrop of LA on our journey north. It felt a little eerie witnessing this. These fires reminded us of our experiences dealing with fires and evacuations. We experienced the massive fires in San Diego in 2007, as well as evacuating during the 2014 San Marcos fires happening almost literally in our backyards. Here are a few photos.

San Marcos fire

Sequoia

We arrived at Sequoia National Park early enough in the day to enjoy most of the park. Well, at least the parts that were not closed due to the winter season. We continued our path into the park on The Generals highway. This 80 year old roadway is included as part of the overall park experience.

We encountered construction delays as we went through the entrance. We were told there is up to a 2 hour delay but we made it in time, to where there was only 40 minutes until traffic would be allowed through. Currently, as of November 2018, repairs are being done on the highway to handle a larger number of vehicles. We spent some time at the Foothills Visitors Center and enjoyed a little break as we waited.

Take a look at our journey through the park as we share some of the highlights and points of interest of Sequoia.

We stopped in at the Giant Forest Museum and used the restrooms at this stop. Sequoia exhibits, information, gift shop, and permits are offered here.

Our next stop was to see the General Sherman Tree as there are two different trails that take you to the tree. The main trail is about 1/2 mile down stairs and paved walkway. There are small signs that say: high elevation, take your time. This is for the path back uphill. These trees are incredibly massive, and very interesting.

The General Sherman Tree is estimated to be 2,200 years old. It’s largest branch is nearly 7 feet in diameter. Wow! Do you know the difference between Sequoia and Redwood trees? Here are a few details.
Sequoias grow naturally in the west slope of the California Sierra Nevada range and have a massive trunk and is also called the Sierra redwood.

The Redwood tree is a taller and more slender and grows in more north near the coast in California.

Several of the meadows, water fall trails, and other paths were closed for the winter season. We were hoping to see a few bears as well, but there were few if any of them around and they do loiter around different parts of the park during certain times of the year.

We were informed that the bears are small black bears, about the size of a large dog, but to still remain at a distance, do not feed them, and properly store your own food in appropriate containers. The ranger also indicated there might be a few bears in the meadows areas, but we did not see any.

Unfortunately, due to all the fires happening around California, and the national park doing a contained burn, we were presented with smokey hazy skies.

Kings Canyon

On our second day visiting the national parks in this area. we started quite early in Kings Canyon as we stayed in lodging in Fresno the night before. (Since Sequoia and Kings are located right next to each other). It was a beautiful morning as we made our way in and around Kings Canyon National Park.

Take a look at the above photos and compare the fallen Monarch to the black and white photo taken around 1900. Sequoias can avoid decay even for thousands of years fallen on a forest floor. Take a walk through the center of the fallen Monarch here in the video below. Click here.

Another point of interest is an incredible overlook we stumbled upon on our drive down to Hume Lake that offers stunning views of the canyon below and impressive landscape.

Again, we were a little disappointed because of the hazy smokey skies that we had to deal with during this particular weekend.

Hume Lake is a neat and peaceful area of which it is on private land and not part of the national park. There are camping and large group camping events available and hiking around the lake which is approximately 2 miles. We were not really impressed by this area, but it was nice and peaceful.

Our next stop was during our hike to see the next infamous giant sequoia tree but we came across one of the first early cabins where the first park ranger resided here at Gamlin Cabin during the early 1900s. Take a look.

The impressive massive General Grant, Americas Christmas Tree. The world’s second largest tree!

Our first time experience visiting these two beautiful national parks was full of beautiful landscapes, interesting history, and impressive plant life. We recommend visiting these two parks on your next visit to California as they are conveniently located next to each other.

To top off our amazing visit to these parks, we were able to enjoy a few stunning sunsets!

More information about these parks are below:
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271
www.nps.gov/seki

Other info:
*There is no gas available in the park.
*Trails: Day hikes are available in all areas.
*Bears: Black bears are attracted to human food, and they know what the plastic grocery bags are. You can’t even begin to understand how good their sense of smell of food is. You must properly store food at all times.
*Do not feed any wildlife.

Read about more fitlife360 adventures:
Capitol Reef National Park a photo essay:

Exploring Channel Islands National Park: Santa Cruz Island!

A Desert Delight: Hiking Camelback Mountain*Scottsdale AZ

November 2, 2018fitlifeandtravel

Camelback Mountain: Elevation: 2707 feet Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Paradise Valley area DIRECTIONS
An adventure in the desert mountains is an exciting venture to take on. Then add the heat element of 109 degrees to the equation and you have a challenge.

As we ponder the idea of possibly making Arizona our home, we wanted to visit the desert as often as possible throughout the Summertime, and try to get a grasp of what life would be like living there during this time of the year.

So we set out to hiking Camelback Mountain on a lovely hot weekend in June.

DSC_0055_WEB

Our road trip to Arizona went very smooth and was an enjoyable ride. We had our car prepared and ready to drive through the heat and here is my previous blog article I wrote about prepping for a weekend roadtrip. We awoke around 6:30am and enjoyed the morning as we ate breakfast, showered, and prepared for our morning hike.

We soon found out, however, that our morning hike didn’t start early enough as the thermometer proceeded to rise quickly by 10am. We set out with our water jugs, backpack and cameras for the hiking journey. Take a look at our recap video as we take on Camelback Mountain. Check out the trail terrain, the boulder rock path climbing, and some awesome views!

This hiking trail is so very cool and interesting as it offers lots of variety and climbing as well as smoother easier parts on the trails. From trees to cactus, and rock stair switchbacks to boulder rocks, its got lots of variety.

Here are some more highlights of this incredible hiking trail.

There are some advantages to hiking the desert in the Summer as you have significantly less crowds to deal with. And it is a good idea to wear gloves for protection from the hot railings and rocks when you need to use them to assist in climbing and balance.

However, the Fall and Winter seasons would be perfect weather to hike this trail but be prepared to encounter crowded paths. This hike is also a cardio workout, and can be risky hiking in the hot summer months (heat exhaustion / heat stroke); so plan accordingly. (At least a gallon of water per person.)

Interesting bit of history: A cave discovered on the north side of Camelback Mountain indicates that it was used as a sacred site by the prehistoric Hohokam Culture before they abandoned the area in the 14th century (Source: Wikipedia)

20180622_192859 — Sunset in Chandler, AZ

Go outside and explore! Life Maximized!

Read more desert adventure:

Photo Essay: Capitol Reef National Park

October 31, 2018fitlifeandtravel

Capitol Reef National Park can be described by its vibrant palette of red hues that are on display everywhere across the landscape in this part of Utah. This park consists of folded geological shapes, lifted rugged earth that was created millions of years ago.

The geological feature that defines Capitol Reef is a wrinkle in the earth’s crust that extends nearly 100 miles from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell. The Waterpocket Fold was created as a result of deposition, uplifting, and erosion of the rock layers. (Source: Capitol Reef info brochure)

It was a last minute decision to take a road trip to visit another national park while on business travel and wow; were we glad we did! The drive from Salt Lake City was over 400 miles round trip, but it did make for a bit of a stressful experience that being we were on a time limit, due to a flight scheduled to return home from Salt Lake City.

This national park did not disappoint with its towering cliffs, massive domes, arches and bridges; this bedrock of beauty was spectacular!

As you peruse through the park, you might think there is no life here. But if you look closely, this place is home to over 100 species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish; 239 species of birds; over 900 species of plants; and 33 ecological systems. (Source: Capitol Reef Park brochure)

Take a preview of these captions; they include some highlights and points of interest and of the surrounding landscapes.

PETROGLYPH BRIDGE WEB — Path to the Petroglyphs area

…the light seems to flow or shine out of the rock rather than to be reflected from it.
-Clarence Dutton, geologist and early explorer of Capitol Reef, 1880s.

This is only a small portion of what our visit was, there is still much more to explore in this beautiful national park. Here are some must see points of interest:

Hiking:
Chimney Rock
Grand Wash
Cassidy Arch
Cohab Canyon

Scenic Drive
Hickman Bridge

More info below for your next visit:
Capitol Reef National Park
HC 70, Box 15
Torrey, UT 84775
435-425-3791
nps.gov/care

Read about more Utah adventure here:

Sunshine Blogger Award Nomination

October 24, 2018October 24, 2018fitlifeandtravel

I learned recently that fitlifeandtravel.com (aka fitlife360) was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger award by our friends at WhereGalsWander. These Gals are a true gem to the travel tribe community as they share unique inspirational stories each and every day. I am extremely grateful for all the support and encouragement the Gals and several other bloggers have shown me since I started my blog. I hope I can be just as inspiring and influential to other adventure seekers as well as other bloggers!

Sunshine Blogger Rules

Thank the blogger who nominated you and link to the original post!

Answer the 11 questions they’ve asked you.

Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 questions. My question for the nominees are included towards the end. Enjoy!

Do you read the instructions all the way through before you get started or just get to it?

When I was younger, I usually would get right to it and not read the instructions all the way through. Now I do read instructions all the way through.

What did you do you before you started spending the majority of your time blogging?

Prior to starting my full time blogging website, I worked as a Marketing Director/ Consultant for a company and its founder for 22 years. Unfortunately, this long work relationship did not end on a happy note. But I do not allow that to control my attitude and my future endeavors. I enjoy blogging more than I ever thought I would!

Where is one place you will never travel to again?

The one place I may never travel to again is Diego Garcia. An island located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, (I was stationed here on deployment while active duty in the military) as this island is for primarily government/military purposes, and there is no civilian travel to this place. (But I sure had an extraordinary experience here).

What’s the best souvenir or purchase you made while traveling?

Since we seldom purchase ‘things’ on travel, we did recently purchase an extra fee for an extended catamaran ride to see the Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island at Channel Islands National Park. One the best purchases we’ve ever made.

What was your very first blog about?

My first blog post was related to health and fitness called ‘The effects of temperature on exercising. https://fitlifeandtravel.com/2018/02/09/effects-of-temperature-on-exercising/

If you could road trip with anyone for 5 days, who would it be?

I would love to do a road trip with fellow sister blogger Zanne from Where Gals Wonder.com Not sure we would get many trails hiked or go too far, we’d be soaking in the surroundings and talking so much about how much we appreciate being there – right then in those moments.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

My biggest pet peeve is when someone says they will do something,.. and they don’t.

What’s one word other people would use to describe you?

The one word people use to describe me might be is ‘smart’.

Favorite camping food?

I’ve only camped once, but if I’d go camping now, my favorite food might be grilled bunless hamburger.

The last song you listened to on your playlist?

I am old school, I do not have a playlist. But the last song I listened to on Youtube was Thousand Years, by Christina Perri. (I am learning to play this song on my piano).

***************************************************************

Questions for nominees:

1.What is the main theme of your blog?

2.What inspired you to start your blog?

3.Do you run your blog primarily on a laptop or do you run it from your smart phone device?

4.What is your background?

5.Do you have any special skills or talents that you can share? Please mention them.

6.What is the most unique place you have traveled to?

7.What is the most memorable place you’ve visited and who did you travel with?

8.Name a place you would travel solo and why?

9.What is your favorite hiking trail or walking path?

10.Have you ever traveled to a place where you found an unexpected hidden gem?

11.Do you have any future plans or goals for your blog website? (Monetize, ads, collaborate with other bloggers, etc).

California Dreaming Series |Palm Springs

October 19, 2018October 19, 2018fitlifeandtravel

When you hear the words ‘Desert Oasis’ what comes to mind? The first thing that comes to my mind is Palm Springs. The quaint, quiet little desert town nestled in the middle of the Sonoran desert.

It’s a place known for its hot springs, golf courses, and spas. Many Hollywood stars also made it their getaway place and built additional homes in a particular area east of Palm Canyon Drive, calling it “The Movie Colony.” (Source: Wikipedia.com)

DSC_0065PSLIZARD — The walkway decor at the info center for Marriott at Shadow Ridge Golf Course

The Palm Springs area has been the filming location for numerous films and TV shows but this is not the reason of which it draws my sweetheart and I to frequently visit. It’s a place great for a weekend getaway or simply a perfect one day road trip. We have done both and here are a few of our experiences.

We love the tranquility, the peaceful feel, and the enjoyable hiking trails.

We’ve been lucky enough to live only a short distance from the beautiful desert oasis.

This makes for a perfect one day road trip getaway with usually only a 2 and half hour drive one way.

Hiking: Art Smith Trail

This hiking trail will leave you with feelings of wow and awe as it is rated as difficult and the complete trail distance is 12.2 miles and is 2641 feet high.

However, the first couple miles are a gradual climb and mostly easy trail paths. We hiked about 2 miles the day we explored this trail and enjoyed the quiet, serene landscape, and the scenic views overlooking Palm Springs area.

Art Smith trail is located in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains. There is a visitor center located directly across highway 74, which has a vast array of information and another hiking trail. This is at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center

20180427_101217 — Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center

Shadow Ridge Golf Club

The Shadow Ridge Golf Club formerly was associated with former PGA Golf Pro Nick Faldo, and is the home of Marriott villas and resort club.

We’ve spent time using the golf practice facility and would hit and chip balls for the entire day for fee of about $20. We’ve also stayed in one of the villas and thought they were quite exceptional.

La Quinta Resort and Spa: Learn more

From a rejuvenating massage to lingering in the pool, this place will have you saying wow. I felt renewed, relaxed, and rejuvenated after the day I spent here.

The grounds at La Quinta Spa are just as enticing as the services! The relaxing patio and lounge area used for those who are awaiting their treatment, or the adult swimming pool area to take a dip and cool down on a steamy afternoon.

Then you can slip into the jacuzzi spa to unwind at your maximum potential to top off your day.

The spa hot tub area.

All the while I am at the spa relaxing and indulging myself, my husband is enjoying a round of golf. Located in LaQuinta, California near Palm Springs, the PGA West by Greg Norman is located a short distance away from the resort and spa. Golf learn more.

Art Galleries in Nature: Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden
This beautiful garden is full of scenic colorful settings together with sculpture art displays. With an easy lighted pathway that leads to various areas where you can sit on a bench and relish the moment, this is a perfect place to appreciate some culture, art and history. Take a look:

Tranquil waterfall and sculpture.

Beautifully colored designed pathways.

Dining: Maracas

Although we are not really what you would call foodies, we do enjoy our favorite dining place. Maracas offers delicious entrees as well as drinks, free chips and salsa, and a very friendly atmosphere. The staff are extremely attentive and friendly! This is where we dine every time we visit Palm Springs area. I do have food sensitivities and Maracas has never caused a problem for me, I do order my food dish without cheese, and the food appears to be fresh and quality.

So if you are in the mood for a weekend getaway or just a one day road trip, depending on where you live; then you should visit Palm Springs area. You might consider an experience to Palm Springs at least once. Directions to Palm Springs

*The comments mentioned within this piece are solely based on my opinion and experiences only.

Like it, Pin it.

Read about more adventure here:

A Journey Through Joshua Tree National Park

October 15, 2018fitlifeandtravel

Joshua Tree National Park is located approximately 140 miles east of Los Angeles and a short distance to neighboring Palm Springs area. This protected land is comprised of vegetated high desert and low desert making up this extraordinary national park.

This park has many interesting and diverse parts that will appeal to any exploring hiker.

Much of this land expands across both the Colorado and Mojave Deserts and is home to a variety of species living in this desert ecosystem. Here are a few of the living residents of this amazing national park:

Big Horn Sheep
Chuckwalla
Cactus wren
Beavertail cactus
Greater roadrunner
Desert tortoise
Desert iguana

Vegetation includes:
Joshua trees
Prickly pear cactus
Hedgehog cactus
Juniper
Scrub oak
Mojave yucca
Cholla cactus
and many more.

Our day of exploration at the park was on National Public Lands day so we enjoyed an entry fee free day. The next fee free day at the parks is November 11, Veterans Day. As we continue our journey through this park, we were more amazed the further we went. The beauty, quiet, serene, and peaceful ora of the desert is intoxicating.

We were lucky enough to also spot some big horn sheep and capture them wandering around near the Barker Dam area of the park.

Some of the key points of interest that you may wish to explore on your visit to Joshua Tree National Park are listed here:

⭐️Quail Springs
⭐️Keys Ranch
⭐️Barker Dam
⭐️Hidden Valley
⭐️Keys View
⭐️Ryan Mountain
⭐️Lost Horse Mine
⭐️Geology Road Tour
⭐️Cholla Cactus Garden
⭐️Cottonwood Spring
⭐️Indian Cove

20180922_122935web — Joshua Tree fitlifeandtravel.com

Barker Dam Trail

Check out the hiking trail at Barker Dam: a short, easy pleasant trail to the historical dam. And wow those boulders and rock formations are incredible!

Skull Rock Trail

Hidden Valley

Camping is also allowed and the sites are located near impressive boulders and lovely trails, this particular site is located at Hidden Valley; this area was where a cattle rustlers hideout was.

Views throughout the park:

Quiet, serene and peaceful surroundings.

Silver Bell Mine

Cholla Cactus Garden
This garden is comprised of jumping cholla, so you do need to be careful and cautious as you stroll this attraction. It is a bit mesmerizing as the endless number of cholla cactus dominate this particular area of the park.

The cholla cactus (jumping cholla) with its barbed spine, are known to attach to skin, fur, and clothing.

The day we tipped toe through this garden, a female in the group in front of us ended up with a cholla spine in her shoe, and it appeared to go all the way through the rubber sole of her shoe.

Another side note; be cautious of bees near and around the cholla cactus garden area.

Here is a bit more information you should know before you visit Joshua Tree National Park:
1.There is no cell phone service in the majority of the park.
2.Stay away from abandoned mines.
3.Carry at least one gallon of water per person per day.
4.Flash floods are a danger; avoid drainage areas during and after thunderstorms
5.Do not climb unless you are properly trained and equipped. (Rock climbing is allowed).
6.Pets are prohibited on the trails and beyond 100 feet from any park road, campground, or picnic area.
7.Off-road driving is prohibited.
Some camping sites are available at a first come, first serve basis; visit www.recreation.gov to learn more. Campgrounds are usually full on the weekends from October through May. Check out the website to plan your next visit.

Joshua Tree National Park directions.
74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
760-367-5500
www.nps.gov/jotr

The desert may not be high on your list of places to see and visit, but Joshua Tree National Park may change your mind. It is incredible how this desert land teaches us about adaption as these animals, plants, and landscapes adapt to the summer 100 plus degree temperatures, relentless sun, and so little water. That is impressive in my book.

Follow more adventures; take a read!